


Fall for You

by Sabeley



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Even, Awkward Isak, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 00:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13692918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabeley/pseuds/Sabeley
Summary: If Isak could just stop embarrassing himself in front of the ridiculously attractive guy in his psychology class, that would be great.





	Fall for You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Twinklylightseverywhere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twinklylightseverywhere/gifts).



> Julia, you are such an amazing writer and I could not have been more happy to get your name for this exchange. I took inspiration from your fics and tried to create something you would like. You asked for an adorably awkward college AU and, well, I did my best to deliver. I hope you enjoy and Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!

Isak saw him on the first day of class. He was impossible to miss—as if there was some sort of invisible energy radiating off of him like a beacon. He was all long limbs and lean muscle, his blonde hair perfectly coiffed atop his head in a way that somehow managed to look effortless, and Isak could already tell that he was just his type. He had that hipster vibe about him, wearing a jean jacket covered in patches and ripped pants stained with splashes of paint. It wasn’t the attraction that took him by surprise, however, because objectively, the boy _was_ beautiful. No, what Isak found most jarring was the strange familiarity about him that made him feel as if they had known each other forever despite the fact that they hadn’t even met yet. _That’s him,_ his soul seemed to say. _That’s the one you’ve been waiting for_. 

He wasn’t sure how long he stood in the doorway of the lecture hall staring at the boy in awe, but it must have been too long because he was soon startled out of his thoughts as someone shouldered past him into the room, knocking him off balance. He caught himself—but just barely—and the sound of his foot hitting the floor echoed throughout the ancient wood beam rafters, drawing the attention of half the class. When Isak finally found the courage to look up, his cheeks already burning uncomfortably, he was both relieved and terrified to find that the beautiful boy he had been staring at before was now staring back. 

In the crowded room their eyes found each other and this time, Isak recognized the beacon the boy was emitting. It was glowing like the strobe of a lighthouse, warning him away, and yet Isak continued to drift closer, more than willing to crash against the rocky shore in front of him if it would only bring him closer to those shining blue eyes. 

And crash he did. 

He took a few steps farther into the room, hoping to find an empty seat to let him sink back into anonymity, but the boy’s eyes were tracking him across the auditorium and Isak found that he couldn’t look away for even long enough to watch where he was going. It cost him what was left of his dignity. 

His left foot hooked around the edge of one of the rows of seats and he stumbled forward, just barely catching himself before he fell face-first onto the floor. Figuring that it was best to call it quits while he was still in one piece, Isak hastily slumped into the nearest seat without even bothering to scope out better options. He then sat frozen, staring down at his hands, waiting for his embarrassment to dissipate. Even after a full minute, his cheeks were still burning white-hot, but so was his curiosity. Unable to stop himself, he looked across the room towards his lighthouse once more and, to his surprise, the boy was still looking back. 

He returned Isak’s stare for several seconds, his gaze completely clinical like he was assessing from a distance whether Isak was okay. He wasn’t smiling, but his eyes were kind, and when he seemed satisfied that imminent death wasn’t on the horizon, he turned back around, using his pencil to tap out a rhythm against the notebook opened in front of him. 

Isak dreamed about those eyes for two days until he saw them again. 

* 

It was on the second day of class that Isak fell for him. Literally. 

He was flustered from the very start, having just run across campus to make it to the lecture in time, and he was still trying to catch his breath when he realized there was now a seating chart posted on the wall. Well, fuck. He waited in line to get his seat assignment and by the time he had the number memorized, his professor had already stood to start class. Hastily, Isak began counting rows, looking for seat H14. 

He sighed when he reached row H, eyeing his empty seat in the very middle, but eventually he had to swallow his pride and start pushing through the maze of limbs, muttering apologies as he tried not to think about how the beautiful boy with the hypnotic blue eyes might be watching him and laughing at his expense. 

“Excuse me,” he mumbled over his fellow students’ grumbles of displeasure. “Sorry, sorry, excuse me.” He wanted to point out that it certainly wasn’t his fault that the university had placed the rows almost inhumanely close together, but drawing extra attention to himself in that moment seemed like a bad idea. So he stepped over backpacks and around legs and he had _almost_ made it to his accursed seat when his feet got tangled up beneath him and he fell backwards. 

He closed his eyes as he went down, expecting a crash. He imagined falling to the floor, his limbs flailing wildly—but, in a strange twist of fate, the rows were _so_ close together that when he fell, he couldn’t even fall properly and instead ended up sitting down hard on what felt suspiciously like someone’s lap. He probably would have slid off of them in shock, but arms quickly snaked around his waist, holding him in place. He kept his eyes closed for several seconds, waiting for the fallout. 

“Are you okay?” a deep voice asked and Isak reluctantly opened his eyes only to find the person he had been dreaming about staring back at him. For a second, he thought it _was_ a dream—like his brain had conjured up some sort of consolation prize for his embarrassment—but the longer he stared at the boy, the more real he seemed. There were a few tendrils of hair hanging down loose over his forehead, his lips were hopelessly chapped, and there was a single patch of blonde stubble along his jaw that he had missed shaving. His eyes, however, were just as perfect as they had seemed from a distance and they left him speechless. 

The boy’s brows furrowed and he shifted beneath Isak, as if he was suddenly uncomfortable. It was only then that Isak realized he was still sitting on his lap in the middle of a crowded lecture hall as their professor continued to drone on as if nothing was amiss. “Oh, um, physically?” he asked, his cheeks so hot he worried they might not ever cool. “Yeah. I think my pride’s a bit banged up though.” 

To his surprise, the boy chuckled and tightened his grip around Isak’s hips like he didn’t actually mind the company. “I’m Even,” he offered with a smile. 

“Isak,” he greeted. And although he could have stayed in Even’s lap all day, he didn’t actually think that was a feasible option considering that the people on both sides of them were listening in, silently demanding that Isak move. “I should probably...” he said, gesturing vaguely to his still-vacant seat. 

Smirking, Even nodded and helped Isak to stand. His legs were shaky beneath him, although he wasn’t quite sure if that was a side effect of his crippling embarrassment or his proximity to Even. He then stumbled to his own seat and collapsed into it in relief, vowing to be the first person to class next time so he didn’t have to go through this torture again. 

His heartbeat eventually started to slow and although he was never quite able to tune into what the professor was saying, it calmed him to know that Even was only a few seats away. Five to be exact—too far to speak, but too close to stare—and despite the humiliation he had just gone through in front of a two-hundred person lecture hall, _that_ was somehow still the most unfortunate thing that happened to him all day 

* 

“No, Eva, I mean I _literally_ fell right into his lap,” Isak groaned, holding the door to the coffee shop open so that she could step through. “In front of _everyone_. God, it was so embarrassing. I’m never going to be able to look him in the eyes again.” 

It was a few days later and Isak still cringed every time he thought about it. He had seen Even in class since then, but they had exchanged nothing more than pleasant smiles. It was infuriating. 

“Aw,” Eva cooed, looking over her shoulder to laugh at his embarrassment. “You’re blushing.” Isak glared at her and she rolled her eyes. “Well, I don’t know,” she snapped. “What do you want me to say? Was he hard?” 

Isak balked at the question. “I was only there for a couple of seconds and we were in class. I’d be more worried if he was.” 

“Well then just stop freaking out, okay?” she said as they reached the counter. “It’s going to be fine.” She ordered something that sounded like it probably had a shit ton of sugar in it and then turned back to Isak as the barista left to prepare her order. “You know what this is though, right?” she asked with an amused grin. “It’s a—shit, what are those things called again? A meet-cute? Like in romance novels?” 

“A _meet-cute_?” Isak cried, appalled. “That was _not_ a meet-cute! It was a meet-ugly, if anything.” 

“Still memorable though,” she smirked. 

“Yeah, well,” Isak grumbled. “I would have preferred it to be a little _less_ memorable, actually.” 

The barista returned with Eva’s coffee and the two of them were just about to leave when a familiar voice stopped Isak in his tracks. “Hi, Isak.” 

He looked up in surprise at the sound of his name and found Even standing where the girl had been only a few seconds before, tying a black apron around his waist. Isak felt his cheeks heat, wondering just how much of that conversation Even had overheard. At the rate they were going, the next time they met, Even might not even recognize him without a blush on his face. 

“Hi,” he choked out in surprise and then—a little too late for it to seem natural—added, “Even.” 

Even smiled, like the sound of his name on Isak’s lips made him happy. “What can I get you?” 

“Oh, um,” Isak stalled. He didn’t actually drink coffee and had only come to accompany Eva while he waited for his next class to start, but if he told Even that, then he would have no reason to linger and suddenly he wanted to stay—even if just for a few more minutes. Instead, he wracked his brain trying to remember the name of any beverage that he might actually be able to choke down. He scanned the menu, but quickly got lost in the unfamiliar words. Why did ordering coffee have to be so difficult? “Oh, I, uh, just want one of, um,” he coughed, gesturing to Eva, hoping she would fill in the blank for him, but she just smirked and took a sip of the drink in her hand. 

“A caramel macchiato?” Even asked, looking over at Eva’s drink as well. 

Unsure of what else to say, Isak just shrugged. “Why not?” 

Even gave him another coy smile and then went to prepare his drink. Isak watched him as he moved across the kitchen, his T-shirt stretching across his shoulders as he reached up to grab the caramel sauce off of the top shelf. It wasn’t until Eva chuckled and grabbed his arm to pull him out of the line that Isak realized his mouth was agape. 

“Is that him?” Eva hissed once they were out of earshot. “He’s _cute_.” 

Isak didn’t dignify her question with a response because a) the answer was obvious; and b) he didn’t want the answer to be _too_ obvious because he had no idea what she might do with that information once Even returned. 

He brought the drink over a minute later, the lid only halfway on, and their hands brushed as Isak took it from him. “Thanks,” he smiled and Even nodded, already backing away towards the line at the register once more. 

“See you in class?” Even asked. 

“Yeah,” Isak agreed, his stomach fluttering in nervous anticipation. “See ya.” 

Even turned back around and Isak watched enraptured as he leaned over the counter to take the next customer’s order, his smile absolutely blinding. He probably would have stood there all day, just staring, if it wasn’t for Eva drifting closer to lift the lid off of his cup. 

“Thought so,” she chuckled, tilting it towards him so that he could see the heart drawn in the foam. Surprised, Isak glanced towards Even once more only to find that he was already looking back with a smirk on his lips. And then, as if flirting came as naturally to him as making caramel macchiatos, he winked before going back to work. 

Isak couldn’t bring himself to actually drink the coffee, but he did snap a picture of the heart before it could disappear. 

* 

After that, Isak saw him everywhere. Although admittedly, that could just be because he was now _looking_ for him everywhere. He saw him in class, smirking as Isak squeezed past him towards his seat, and also in the coffee shop, which Isak now frequented. Eva kept making jokes about how he’d had one taste and now he was addicted—to the barista—but he didn’t know why she was complaining because she was getting free drinks out of the deal. He still couldn’t stand the taste of coffee. 

Surprisingly, however, Even was quite easy to find once you started looking. He still shone like a beacon everywhere he went, drawing Isak’s attention to him without even trying, but it also helped that his friends were even more loud than Isak’s were, constantly wreaking havoc around campus with a video camera in hand. Commotion like that was hard to miss. 

It was about three weeks into the semester and Isak was laying on a blanket in the Quad with Sana, pretending to study Biology while actually ticking through the list of things he knew about Even in his head. It wasn’t a long list. He knew that his first name was Even, that he was taking Intro to Psychology, that he was beautiful, and that he had an exceptionally comfortable lap. Aside from that, they had only exchanged mild pleasantries and Isak was starting to think that was all there would ever be between them when he heard raucous laughter brewing from the other side of the green. 

He turned towards the sound, not knowing what to expect, and was greeted by the sight of two people dressed up in what looked like inflatable T-Rex costumes racing each other across the yard, their dinosaur heads flopping side to side comically as they fell and then picked themselves back up again to the amusement of those gathered around for the show. Isak knew that alone should have been enough to captivate him, but he sought out Even instead and quickly found him, laughing behind a handheld camera as he filmed the whole thing. 

Next to Isak, Sana groaned. “I wish those dumbasses would just chill,” she said through gritted teeth, slamming her textbook shut. “They’re so embarrassing.” Isak tore his gaze away from Even to look back at her and found that she was glaring towards Even’s friends as if there was some sort of personal vendetta between them. 

“They do this a lot?” Isak asked, baffled by her vehemence. 

“Yes!” Sana cried. “All the fucking time. I mean, I have to put up with it enough at home. I don’t want to deal with it here too!” She then rounded on him, like their continued existence was somehow _his_ fault, and Isak shrank under her glare until she looked back at the boys in dinosaur suits. 

“Wait,” Isak said once he had a chance to digest her words, shaking his head in confusion. “At home?” 

“Yes?” she snapped, as if she thought he was being deliberately obtuse. “Dinosaur Number Two over there is my brother. Elias? You’ve met him.” Isak was 100% positive that was not true, but he didn’t think arguing with her would do him any favors. 

“Right,” he said, following her gaze across the yard to a boy who was wearing a bandana over his head to keep his dark hair out of his eyes. Isak was surprised to find that the boy was looking back, smiling at her sheepishly. Sana rolled her eyes and turned away, but Isak didn’t miss the slight pink tint to her cheeks. Usually he would make fun of her for it, but she had information and he needed it. “And are they just fucking around for fun, or…?” 

“I guess,” she grumbled, sitting up and shoving her textbooks back into her bag, clearly ready to leave. “I mean, they post it all on YouTube too because apparently it’s not enough to embarrass yourself in real life—you have to do it on the internet as well.” 

“YouTube?” Isak asked, his brain nearly short-circuiting at the stalking possibilities something like that offered. “Really? Do you know what their channel is called?” He tried to make the request seem casual, but Sana, as usual, saw right through him. 

“Okay, which one is it?” she asked, leveling Isak with a glare that made him feel like she was looking into his soul. 

“Which one is what?” he tried, but Sana just raised an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“You know which one is what,” she said, standing. “And if you want to be able to stalk him like you’re hoping to, you’re going to tell me.” Isak opened his mouth, trying to do a cost-benefit analysis in his head at lightning speed, but he was apparently too slow because Sana just sighed and began walking away, taking her invaluable knowledge with her. Just like he probably knew he would, Isak caved. 

“Even,” he whisper-yelled, not wanting the name to carry across the yard and attract the attention of a video camera. Even might be okay with embarrassing himself on the internet, but Isak wasn’t quite there yet. Sana stopped in her tracks and Isak could almost _feel_ the smirk rising to her lips. Sure enough, when she turned back around, she looked incredibly smug. 

“Hei Briskeby,” she said and then walked off once more. It took Isak several long seconds to realize that was the answer to his question. And thus the internet stalking began. 

* 

Hei Briskeby had almost twenty videos uploaded onto their channel. Isak watched them all. Twice. Even was behind the camera in most of them, but in the ones where the boys were just sitting on the couch playing dumb games, he was just as vibrant as the others, smiling and laughing with abandon. His deep voice became the soundtrack to Isak’s life. 

From there, a bit of clicking revealed Even’s personal YouTube channel where he had posted three separate short films, each less than ten minutes long. Isak watched those as well, although he wasn’t quite sure he understood the message behind them. He had always been bad at shit like that. They were beautiful though and just the fact that they _existed_ was amazing to him. He wouldn’t even know how to begin creating something like that. 

The credits also gave him Even’s last name: Bech Nӕsheim. Once he had that, he scoured Facebook and Twitter, going so far as to click through everyone on both Sana and Elias’s friend lists, but found nothing. 

With Instagram, however, he had more luck. Even’s account wasn’t hard to find, but there were less than a hundred photos on it. They were artsy pictures mostly with barely any of his face unless you scrolled—which Isak, of course, did as he sat home alone on Friday night, eating cereal for dinner. He was sixty-seven weeks deep when his finger slipped and that dreaded heart appeared. Isak dropped both his phone and his spoon and stared at the screen in abject horror as any chance he had with Even flashed before his eyes. After several long, harrowing seconds during which he prayed for time to rewind, Isak let out a groan of frustration into his silent apartment. 

“What the fuck?!” he cried, burying his head in his hands. “Why am I like this?” 

Half-formed plans came to mind of breaking into Even’s apartment (he would have to get the address from Sana) and stealing his phone, but logically he knew that Even had probably already seen the notification. Isak was already in the coffin, just waiting to be buried—possibly literally considering his heart was thundering so hard it felt like it might beat right out of his chest. 

He was debating the merits of sending Even a direct message laughing the whole thing off when he heard a knock echo throughout the apartment. Something was off about the sound, however, so Isak stayed seated, trying to place it, and when the second knock came, he realized what was wrong. The knock wasn’t coming from the door, it was coming from the window—the window of their fourth floor apartment. 

Forgetting his own problems for a second, Isak sprang up and made his way down the hall towards the window that led out to the fire escape. His first thought was that it was probably Eskild, having forgotten his keys for the four hundredth time, but he had no explanation for why he would use the fire escape instead of getting Isak to buzz him up. Another knock. 

“I’m fucking coming!” Isak called, but his visitor was apparently impatient because by the time he turned the corner, the window was already open and someone who most definitely was not Eskild was tumbling out of it onto the floor. 

Isak had a brief moment of panic where he thought he might actually be getting _robbed_ , but then the intruder lifted their head just enough for Isak to recognize them and he started panicking for a very different reason because in front of him, looking even more attractive than usual with flushed cheeks and wind-swept hair, was Even Bech Næsheim. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you, dude?” Even called through the apartment loudly, making Isak jump. He quickly realized, however, that Even wasn’t actually talking to him—hadn’t even noticed he was standing there, by the looks of it. He just kept brushing the dust off of his tight jeans, oblivious to all else. “I rang the buzzer for like ten minutes!” 

Unsure what else to do, Isak cleared his throat. Even froze, as if something about the sound was _wrong_ , and then slowly looked up at Isak with terror etched onto every line of his face. Upon recognizing him, Even straightened, his cheeks blooming a dark red. 

“Oh, fuck,” he muttered, taking a step back and running into the wall behind him. “Isak. You’re not Mikael.” 

“No,” Isak agreed. 

Even looked around the apartment frantically, as if trying to place it. “This isn’t Mikael’s apartment,” he decided after a cursory glance. 

“No,” Isak agreed once more. “It’s not.” 

“Apartment 515?” Even asked, almost desperately, his voice several octaves higher than Isak had ever heard it. Isak just chuckled. 

“Apartment _4_ 15,” he corrected. “Looks like you’ve got another flight of stairs to go.” 

Even’s face fell. “Well, shit,” he said, sticking his head out of the still-open window and looking up towards what was presumably Mikael’s apartment upstairs. When he pulled his head back in, his cheeks were darker still. “I’m a fucking idiot. I’m so sorry. I would have just called him instead of scaling the building, but I left my phone at home and—I’m a fucking mess today.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh as he stared down at his shoes and Isak was almost positive he’d never seen anything more adorable in his life. 

“It’s fine,” he said, his heart leaping in his chest as Even looked over at him from beneath his eyelashes. “I mean, I fell into your lap, you fell into my window. I guess we’re even.” 

Even smirked. “Well, thank god,” he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Because otherwise this would have been embarrassing.” 

They stood there smiling uncontrollably at each other for several long seconds. Isak couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so hard his cheeks hurt, but it felt good to give that joy to Even. There were a million things Isak wanted to say—a million questions he wanted to ask—but it seemed obvious that Even had other places to be and he didn’t want to keep him waiting. Seeming to realize the same thing, Even’s smile faded. 

“I should probably go,” he said, gesturing towards the window. “Mikael’s obviously not home since he’s not answering his buzzer and I’m going to need some alcohol after this, so…” He trailed off, seeming almost reluctant to leave, and took the two steps back towards the window. His smile had devolved into a full-blown pout by that point and, inexplicably, that made Isak feel like he had control over the situation for the first time since they’d met. Maybe it was the fact that _he_ wasn’t the one embarassed this time, but he suddenly found that he had the confidence to actually ask for what he wanted. 

“I have alcohol,” he announced casually, as if he shared drinks with pseudo-strangers who broke into his apartment all the time. Even turned to him in surprise, his eyes widening, and Isak wasn’t quite sure what that meant, so he just stood back, waiting for rejection. “If you want.” 

Without a word, Even smiled and turned back to the window only to slam it shut again. “Lead the way.” 

Isak did, taking Even to the kitchen where he quickly stowed his half-eaten bowl of cereal in the sink. He then grabbed them both beers, lingering in front of the fridge for a little longer than usual to cool his cheeks, which he could feel flushing for no reason at all. “Did you and Mikael have plans?” he asked, just to get the conversation started. When he turned, Even shrugged. 

“Fuck if I know,” he said, grabbing the beer Isak was offering him and popping the top easily. “I thought we were pregaming for a party, but it looks like I’ve been ditched.” He took a large swig of beer and then smiled over at Isak. “Can’t say that I mind though,” he admitted. “I like this company better.” And there was that damned blush again. Even smirked around the mouth of his bottle. 

They fell back into a silence that wasn’t altogether comfortable, but Isak wasn’t sure what else to say. He was leaning against the counter while Even watched him from across the room, his head tilted like a puppy, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was being analyzed—like Even was taking all of the pieces he had of Isak and trying to fit them together to form the boy he saw in front of him. 

Then, out of nowhere, Even spoke. “So, was the heart too much?” he asked, but it didn’t sound like a question at all. It sounded like he had already decided it was. Isak furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

“The heart?” he asked. 

Even shook his head in amusement, but smiled as he took another sip of beer. “The heart in your coffee? I was trying to flirt with you, but you never mentioned it again. I thought I might have freaked you out.” 

Isak’s breath hitched in his throat as his own heart started racing once more. “You didn’t freak me out,” he said immediately, his voice probably louder than the situation called for. He looked down at his feet sheepishly. “I guess I just thought you did that for everyone.” 

“No,” Even chuckled like he couldn’t even fathom making foam hearts for anyone but Isak. “Just the ones I’ve had in my lap.” Isak smirked at the joke, but it wasn’t until he heard Even cross the kitchen to lean against the counter next to him that he looked back up. “You know what I think?” he asked once he had Isak’s attention. “I think this is a sign from the universe.” 

Isak snorted. “Is that what you’re planning to tell the cops? That you broke into my apartment because the universe made you do it?” 

“Maybe,” Even said through his laughter and Isak rolled his eyes. 

“Well, what kind of sign is it then?” he asked. 

Even took a step closer until Isak could feel his breath warm against his cheek. “A sign that we should be spending more time together,” Even answered, nuzzling closer to Isak like he was moving in for a kiss. Isak tilted his head up, waiting, but just when their lips were about to meet, Even pulled away. “Do you have any movies?” he asked, already heading into the living room. It took a good thirty seconds before Isak’s heart slowed enough to follow him and by that time, Even was already flipping through his meager DVD collection next to the TV. 

“Is this all you have?” he asked once Isak had settled onto the couch. He sounded appalled, as if Isak’s taste in movies personally offended him. 

“Not all of us spend our free time making pretentious short films.” 

Even paused his perusal of Isak’s movie collection and looked over his shoulder at him with a smirk, dropping all of the DVDs back onto the shelf. “You know I make pretentious short films?” he asked, amused. 

The smug grin slipped off of Isak’s face as if it had never been there at all. Fuck. “Did you just agree that your films are pretentious?” he countered. 

Even froze, his mouth open in surprise, and Isak had only a second to worry that he had offended him before he let out a startled laugh. When Even laughed, he laughed with his whole body. His eyes scrunched up in delight and he folded forward, as if he was trying to protect himself from the sudden onslaught of happiness. Isak felt privileged to see it, so he gave Even something in return. “My roommate’s movies are in that drawer over there,” he said, pointing. “I have a feeling you might enjoy those more.” 

Even went to raid Eskild’s stash of rom-coms instead and the smile on his face almost made up for the torture Isak was sure he was about to have to sit through. “Oh, this is much better,” Even muttered, _Titanic_ in one hand and _Moulin Rouge!_ in the other. Isak couldn’t help but roll his eyes. 

Even settled for _Pretty Woman_ because Isak had never seen it and apparently that was a travesty. He put the movie on without any of the usual hesitation Isak had when trying to use unfamiliar electronics and then, as the opening credits rolled, joined Isak on the couch. Despite there being plenty of space on both sides of Isak, he sat down right next to him, so close that they were touching all along their thighs. Just that small contact sent a shock through Isak’s body. 

Isak was surprised to find that Even liked to talk through movies. Or maybe he just liked to talk. Isak wasn’t sure yet. Regardless, he kept up a steady stream of commentary through the whole thing, looking over to watch Isak’s reactions and smirking knowingly when he actually seemed to enjoy what he was watching. 

He was also surprisingly tactile, although—once again—Isak wasn’t sure if that was just an Even thing or an Even-with-Isak thing. He would grab Isak’s arm during the exciting parts, as if to make sure he was paying attention, and often he wouldn’t let go for several minutes, Isak’s skin burning beneath his hand the entire time. He would also reposition them every now and then under the pretense of being able to see the screen better and somehow he always ended up closer to Isak than when he started. It felt casual though, like it was something they did every day. 

Logically, Isak knew that they weren’t on a date at all, but it was still the best date he’d ever been on. Even when Even started to drift off a couple hours later, his head resting on Isak’s shoulder and his beer bottle empty, Isak found joy in watching him sleep. 

He wasn’t really paying attention to the movie anymore, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn it off because he thought Even might be disappointed if he did. As soon as it ended, however, he clicked off the remote, plunging the living room into darkness. 

He debated with himself for a long time about whether to wake Even up, but it seemed like a waste of good sleep to move him, so eventually he decided to let him stay. He lowered him to the couch carefully and Even curled into the nearest pillow, but didn’t wake. Isak threw a blanket over him and then just stared, mesmerized by how his features softened in sleep until he looked like a whole different person. He had planned to move to his own bedroom to give Even some semblance of privacy, but he was so enraptured that he settled into a cramped armchair instead and eventually drifted off to the comforting rhythm of Even’s breathing. 

* 

He was awoken the next morning by the sound of keys rattling in the lock and by the time he managed to blink himself awake, Eskild was already hovering over him. 

“Good morning!” he whispered, his face alight with happiness, and Isak only had a second to wonder why Eskild was being so considerate of his delicate hearing first thing in the morning when he remembered who else was in the room. He sprang up, half-expecting Even to already be gone, but he was still there, asleep on the couch with a small puddle of drool pooling around his mouth. Isak’s heart clenched in his chest and it was such an unfamiliar feeling that he found himself once again speechless. 

“He’s cute,” Eskild said, gesturing at Even as he made his way into the kitchen and started preparing a pot of coffee. “He yours?” 

Isak shook his head to clear his thoughts and then followed Eskild into the other room, keeping his blanket wrapped tightly around him for protection. “Um, no,” he replied, running his fingers through his already tangled hair. “He, uh, just kinda showed up.” 

Eskild snorted and then turned to Isak with raised eyebrows. “He just showed up?” he asked doubtfully. “What, like a stray?” 

Isak shrugged. “Yes? I don’t know. He belongs to Mikael upstairs.” 

“Well you should probably return him then.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed somberly. “I guess I probably should.” 

Once Eskild got the coffee brewing, he turned back to Isak and gave him a reassuring clap on the shoulder. “Who knows,” he said, his lip twisting into a mischievous grin. “Maybe he’ll find his way back to you.” 

They talked in whispers for a few more minutes until Eskild had his morning coffee and then he excused himself to go shower the night before off of him. He had barely turned the corner before Even was stepping into the kitchen behind him, bleary-eyed with his hair mussed from sleep. It took Isak’s breath away. 

“Morning,” he greeted and the smile Even gave him in return was blinding, warming Isak’s heart like the midday sun. 

“Morning,” he replied, his cheeks flushing a soft pink. “Do you mind if I—?” He gestured towards the coffee pot and Isak nodded, stepping out of the way to allow him access. “Thanks,” he said, pouring a cup and then drinking it black. He leaned back against the counter behind him and looked over at Isak, his cheeks flushing even darker. “Listen, sorry about last night. I, uh,” he smirked. “I don’t usually sleep with people on the first date.” 

Isak snorted at the joke. “Is that what this was?” he asked, trying to brush the question off as casual, but he was desperate to know the answer regardless. “A date?” 

“Well,” Even chuckled. “I usually try not to start my first dates with a felony, so maybe not. Trust me, when I take you on a date, you’ll know it.” 

The look that passed between them then was charged with lightning, with promise, with anticipation. “Looking forward to it,” Isak said, his voice coming out ragged. He watched as Even’s pupils dilated, watched as he set his coffee cup down on the counter and turned to face Isak with purpose, but before he could lean forward and close the distance between them, there was a loud _thud_ from the apartment upstairs. They both looked up in surprise. 

“Sounds like Mikael’s home,” Even said after a while and Isak lowered his gaze to meet Even’s once more, sensing that the time left between them was rapidly coming to an end. 

“Yeah,” he agreed, swallowing hard. “You should probably go let him know you’re not dead.” 

Even looked reluctant to leave—which did wonders for Isak’s confidence, truly—but eventually he sighed and stepped away, giving Isak’s elbow a light squeeze before he went. “See you around, Isak,” he said as he started backing towards the door. 

“Yeah,” Isak agreed. “You too.” 

And then, with one last coy smile, Even was gone, the front door shutting with a click behind him. 

* 

Isak didn’t stop thinking about Even all day and living with the ghost of him in his house was driving Isak crazy. 

That night, he curled up in bed with his calculus homework (because that’s how painfully single he was) and was trying to push Even out of his head for long enough to concentrate when an Instagram notification popped up on his phone. At the sound, a hollow pit formed in Isak’s stomach as his embarrassment from the night before came rushing back to him. How could he have forgotten? 

He opened the app immediately, already prepared for the worst, but it was just a notification that Even had liked one of his pictures. Curious, Isak clicked and then promptly burst out laughing when he realized that the picture Even had liked was the first picture Isak had ever posted—one of Jonas and him playing video games during their first year of high school. 

He couldn’t contain his happiness or his smile, but before he could really bask in the knowledge that Even cared enough to scroll that far back for a joke, another notification popped up saying that he had sent him a message. 

When Isak opened it, his stomach full of butterflies, he only found three words: _Now we’re even._

__

* 

Isak had almost forgotten what it was like to have a crush but _this_? This was the crush to end all crushes. It was like there was a permanent knot in his stomach that only dissipated when Even smiled at him, but thankfully Even did a lot of smiling. There were different types of smiles too. Isak had taken to cataloging them all as he stood in line for coffees that he wouldn’t drink. There was his normal, everyday smile; his polite customer service smile; and then there was his Isak smile. That was Isak's favorite. It was different from the others—softer, a little shyer maybe, like he never quite expected Isak to return it. Those smiles woke him up far better than any cup of coffee ever could. 

But despite all of the stolen glances and private smiles, they still didn’t get much chance to actually talk. The cafe was always obnoxiously full whenever Isak stopped by and his schedule didn’t allow him to be anything but chronically late to the one class they shared. It was cruel, almost, for the universe to have brought them so close, but not given them the opportunity to take it farther. It was like there was a treat dangling right in front of Isak’s nose that could be his if he would just reach out and grab it. He wasn’t brave like Even, though. He wasn’t sure he could take that chance. 

Luckily, Even took it for him. 

Isak was in the library, his nose buried deep in his Psychology textbook as he studied for an exam at the end of the week, when Even’s voice grabbed his attention. 

“Hi.” 

Isak’s head snapped up and he eagerly drank in the sight of the man standing before him. His hair looked softer than usual—like he had been in too much of a hurry to put any product in it that morning—and all Isak wanted to do was card his fingers through it over and over until he had memorized the texture. It was a stupid thing to want, but he wanted it anyway. Even was also dressed more casually than usual, wearing only jeans and a white T-shirt, but he looked comfortable, just like he had that night in Isak’s apartment. 

Considering that all Isak ever did in his Psychology class was daydream about Even, he really couldn’t afford the distraction, but he quickly decided that he was going to welcome it anyway. 

“Hi,” he greeted with a probably too wide smile. Even returned it with a smug grin of his own and then sat down across from Isak, setting two coffee cups on the table. “Is that for me?” Isak asked stupidly. 

Even huffed out a laugh. “Well, it _was_ for a friend of mine, but he’s not where he said he’d be, so I guess so.” He pushed the coffee towards Isak. “I’d hate for it to go to waste.” 

The offer made Isak feel warm inside like he really _had_ just taken a sip of coffee, but he knew the beverage would only be wasted on him anyway. “It’s fine,” he shrugged, pushing it back. “I don’t drink coffee, so…” 

Even furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “You don’t drink coffee?” he asked, as if the very idea was ridiculous. “Isak, you come into the coffee shop everyday and order coffee.” And fucking hell. Why was Isak such a goddamned idiot? 

“Oh, I’m...yeah,” he started, his face once again heating under Even’s attention. He wondered if it was possible to blush so often that your cheeks were permanently stained red. If so, he imagined he was getting close to that limit. “Silly me. I meant that I don’t drink coffee in the _afternoons_.” 

Even pursed his lips and nodded like he absolutely did _not_ believe him, so in an attempt to save what was left of his dignity, Isak picked up the cup and took a large sip of whatever Even had brought him. It somehow managed to be both bitter and sickeningly sweet at the same time and Isak winced at the taste. 

Even rolled his eyes. “Isak?” he asked, clearly amused. “Have you just been coming to the coffee shop to see me? Because it sounds like you have.” 

Unsure of what to say, Isak tried to take another sip of coffee and promptly started choking. “No,” he said between hacking coughs. “Of course not. I—” He went to set the cup back on the table, but didn't do a very good job of it because the next thing he knew, it had fallen back into his lap and was drenching him in warm liquid. 

“Shit!” he hissed, springing up to try to escape the onslaught, but the damage had already been done. Once the initial surprise wore off, he collapsed back down into a dry chair and sighed. The coffee thankfully wasn’t scalding, but it was hot enough to be uncomfortable and the whole front of his pants was covered in it. 

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Even apologized, rushing towards Isak with a handful of napkins that he pulled out of his pocket. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Isak said, trying not to let any of the bitterness seep into his voice. “I mean, it’s not your fault I’m a clutz.” 

“Yeah, but I was baiting you,” Even frowned. “Here, let me—” 

Before Isak could stop him, he bent down on his knees and started attempting to pat Isak’s pants dry. It was a hopeless endeavor considering that the fabric was well and truly saturated, but Even wasn’t one to give up without a fight and he kept rubbing at Isak’s crouch, seemingly oblivious to the potential side effects of that action. 

“Even, it’s really fine,” Isak tried to warn him, but Even didn’t stop and the sight of him on his knees in front of Isak, rubbing the heel of his hand along his dick over and over—well, it was maddening. And because Isak hadn’t been humiliated enough for one afternoon, his traitorous dick began to harden in his pants, the outline of it clearly visible through the material. 

Even continued dabbing at the liquid for only a few more seconds before he seemed to notice the new development and froze. Isak turned away from him, hiding his hard-on under the library table, and then buried his head in his hands with a frustrated groan. What had be done to deserve this life, seriously? 

“I am _so_ sorry,” Even said adamantly and when Isak glanced back up at him, he found that Even’s cheeks were just as red as his. They sure did make quite a pair. “I never should have—Fuck, Isak, I’m sorry.” 

Isak shook his head in amused disbelief, but couldn’t help but smile. “I have been,” he admitted, but Even only looked on in confusion. “Coming to the coffee shop just to see you.” 

Even’s smile came back full-force at that and he stood, giving himself the size advantage once more. “Yeah?” he asked. “Well, I’m glad you have.” He opened his mouth to say something else, but they were interrupted by someone calling Even’s name from across the room. 

“There you fucking are,” a boy with long, dark hair said as he approached the two of them. Isak recognized him from the Hei Briskeby videos, but couldn’t quite put a name to the face. The only one he’d paid any attention to in those videos was Even. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for like an hour.” 

Even tore his gaze away from Isak with what looked to be some difficulty. “Sorry,” he said to his friend. “I ran into Isak and got distracted.” 

“Wow,” the boy smirked, grinning over at Isak like the two of them were in on some joke. “That's been the story of your life this semester, hasn't it?” 

“Oh my god, Mikael,” Even groaned, gathering his things hastily like he was desperate to separate the two of them as fast as possible. “Shut the fuck up or I swear to god I will tell Adam—” Before he could finish his sentence, Mikael held his hands up in surrender. 

“My lips are sealed,” he chuckled. “But seriously, come the fuck on. We’ve only got the video equipment rented until six. It was nice meeting you, Isak.” 

“Um, yeah,” Isak agreed, although he wasn’t quite sure they had been introduced at all. “You too.” 

Even gave Isak one last sad smile, like leaving him alone in the library with a boner pained him. Isak understood. It pained him too—in more ways than one. He lifted his hand in a silent wave goodbye and Even returned the gesture before rounding the corner and disappearing from sight. 

* 

When Isak came into the coffee shop the next morning, cheeks already red for no reason at all, Even made him a cup of hot chocolate without even asking what he wanted. He left the lid half open, just like he had the first time, and when Isak peeked inside, he found a heart drawn in chocolate syrup sitting atop the whipped cream. 

* 

Isak thought he might have to wait awhile to see Even again, but by some miracle they ended up at the same house party on Saturday night. The only problem was that by the time he saw him, Isak had already been pulled into a conversation with someone else—a very eager someone else—and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get away. 

Normally he didn’t mind humoring Julian’s flirtations a bit, but knowing that he could be humoring Even’s flirtations instead had his patience quickly wearing thin. 

“Julian, I have to—” he started, but Julian kept talking, pressing closer to Isak until his senses were overwhelmed by the sickening smell of stale beer and cheap cologne. Isak rolled his eyes as he was backed into the wall behind him, but Julian didn’t seem to notice. He just kept screaming to be heard over the booming bass of the music and Isak didn’t even bother attempting to pay attention. Instead, he tracked Even with his eyes, watching as he moved through the crowd with ease, greeting people he knew every couple of feet. He watched as he grabbed a beer and drank it down, his throat bobbing with every sip. He watched him smile and laugh and light up the room like Isak’s own personal sun. 

It took a few minutes of Isak humming through Julian’s monologue before Even started combing the room himself, clearly looking for something. Isak’s stomach twisted with how much he hoped that _he_ was the something Even was looking for—and he couldn’t say for certain that he was, but what he could say was that as soon as Even saw him, he stopped looking. His smile turned into a smirk and he had already taken a step towards Isak when his gaze flickered over to Julian instead. He stopped in his tracks, crossed his arms over his chest, and raised an eyebrow at Isak, clearly amused by his discomfort. 

Isak glared at him and gestured with his head for Even to come intervene, but Even refused to move, instead leaning against the wall and taking a sip of beer like he was enjoying the show. Julian paused at Isak’s convulsion, but then continued talking. It was like they had reached some sort of stalemate. Isak didn’t stop staring and Even didn’t stop sipping his beer, looking enormously pleased with himself all the while.

Deciding that a change in tactics was necessary, Isak started pouting instead, jutting his lip forward as far as he could comfortably make it go. Even rolled his eyes, but—just like Isak knew he would—abandoned his spot on the wall and _finally_ made his way over. 

“Hey, babe,” he said when he got close enough, squeezing past Julian so that he could sidle into Isak’s side and wrap an arm around his shoulder. “Who’s this?” He gave Julian a cursory once-over, as if he meant nothing, and then looked back at Isak. 

“This is Julian,” Isak replied dutifully, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through him at Even’s touch. “From high school.” 

Even chuckled as if Isak had said something amusing and then turned back to Julian once more. “Hi, Julian from High School,” he greeted. “I’m Even, Isak’s boyfriend.” And if Isak had thought hearing Even call him “babe” was arousing enough, hearing Even call him “boyfriend” was something else altogether. Just because he could, he curled into Even’s side, chasing his warmth despite the stifling body heat all around them. He just couldn’t get enough. He wanted to feel him everywhere while he still could. 

Isak wasn’t even looking at Julian anymore, too enraptured with Even, but he heard him grumble out something unintelligible and then stumble away, probably to look for someone else from high school that he might be able to smooth talk into his bed. Once he was gone, Even removed his arm from around Isak’s shoulder, but before Isak could even miss the weight of it, Even took the spot that Julian had just vacated and pressed Isak back into the wall until it was like they were the only two people in the room. All Isak could see was Even’s blue eyes, all he could smell was the faint scent of coffee that he carried with him everywhere, all he could feel was Even’s thumb gently stroking his cheek. Isak melted into the touch with a soft sigh. 

“I wasn’t lying, you know,” Even said, his eyes so full of emotion that it took Isak’s breath away. He could feel the words more than hear them since the music was still blaring painfully loud, but the whisper of Even’s breath against his cheek made it seem as if the words left Even and became a part of him, sinking into his skin where they would live forever. “I _want_ to be your boyfriend—if you’ll have me.” 

Isak felt a fierce blush rising to his cheeks, but this time he wasn’t embarrassed by it. He wanted Even to see—wanted him to know just how much he affected him. “I would like that,” he admitted. “But,” he said, glancing over Even’s shoulder, pretending to look at something that wasn’t there. “I’m still not quite sure he believed us.” He turned back to Even with a smirk, looking down at his lips pointedly. Even smiled. 

“I guess we’ll just have to be more convincing, then.” 

He leaned in so close that Isak could already feel the ghost of their lips pressing together, but Isak was done being teased. He didn’t wait for Even, but instead lunged forward of his own accord, desperate to kiss him. The only problem was that Even moved at the same time, causing them to bang their noses together. Hard. 

“Fuck,” Isak hissed, reeling back, but Even only laughed. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, moving Isak’s hand so that he could look at his nose. Isak rolled his eyes, but nodded, more embarrassed than anything. “Good,” Even said, his voice deepening once more. “Then here.” He took Isak’s face in both of his hands, holding him still so that he wouldn’t be able to move, and then leaned forward with a smile and _finally_ pressed their lips together. 

It was the kiss Isak had been waiting his whole life for and the two of them molded together like they were two parts of the same whole. He felt it in his lips—in the soft velvety push of Even’s against his—but more than that, he felt it in his heart, like something that had been missing had finally clicked into place. Their courtship hadn’t exactly been conventional and Isak was sure he’d be blushing at the memories for years to come, but at least now he knew Even would be by his side to laugh about it with him. Maybe Eva had been right that day in the coffee shop. Maybe his life _was_ like a romance novel. All he knew for sure was that in the end, he got his happily ever after. 

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's been a hot second since I posted anything, but I am currently working on a multi-chapter undercover cops/fake married AU that should be finished within the next week or so. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this in the meantime ❤️


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